Gayatri Tharmaindran – Every project is like an MBA module

Gayatri has an MBA from Australia. She has transferred to Maersk Management Consulting on a one-year development assignment from her role as Head of Working Capital for Maersk Line in Malaysia.

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As well as learning about the business you also have to get your hands dirty and get involved in the implementation side of things. It’s a chance to put theory into practice.

GAYATRI THARMAINDRAN

“I joined Maersk back in 2007 in Malaysia. The role of a finance person has evolved since then. The routine tasks have been offshored and it no longer just entails account keeping and collecting money - it’s a business partner role, which is about adding value and acting as sparring partner to senior leadership.

At Maersk Management Consulting, I’m learning the day-to-day tools of management consultancy. It’s a structured approach which is about breaking down and tackling bite-sized problems. Maersk Management Consulting is unique in Maersk because you gain a lot of exposure to all business units. I’ve worked with Maersk Supply Service and Damco doing projects on strategy, operational structure and costs. Every project is like an MBA module. But as well as learning about the business you also have to get your hands dirty and get involved in the implementation side of things. It’s a chance to put theory into practice.

I’m currently working with Damco in The Hague. I fly out on Monday mornings and head back to Copenhagen on Thursdays. I do miss the stability of having a ‘home base’ but it’s not a bad sacrifice to make. Not many people get the chance to be away from their jobs, experience so much and move on to a different role within the Group.

I’m a bit of a ‘runaway bride’. I got married in February and my husband, Rajev is back in Malaysia. He is a commercial airline pilot so it wasn’t easy for him to relocate. Rajev has always been very understanding and supportive of my career. Given the distance, technology has made it a whole lot easier for us.

It is such a joy working in a global company. I’ve been with Maersk long enough that I have friends in Copenhagen from all over the world. As it's driven by the Group Values, Maersk culture in Denmark is almost identical to that where I come from in Malaysia, so everyone in Maersk pretty much behaves the same way.”

A.P. Moller - Maersk

A.P. Moller - Maersk is an integrated transport and logistics company with multiple brands and is a global leader in container shipping and ports. Including a stand-alone Energy division, the company employs roughly 88,000 employees across operations in 130 countries.